Racing Vic "Powerless To Stop" Kadyrov Runners

Monday, 21st September 2009

Racing Victoria officials "say they are powerless to prevent former warlord Ramzan Kadyrov's horses competing in Melbourne or to stop him from cheering them on at Flemington Racecourse," reported The Sunday Age. Kadyrov's English-trained horses Mourilyan & Bankable are due to arrive in Melbourne on October 10 & Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey commented: "When owners run in Victoria they have to declare any criminal convictions & we then assess whether they are suitable. As I understand it, Kadyrov doesn't have any convictions and, given the horses have raced in other jurisdictions around the world, we wouldn't have any reason to stop them coming." And Victoria Racing Club chief executive Dale Monteith added: "I don't know too much about him, but we're only a race club, we're not involved in politics. If he's a registered owner overseas, then we would respect that & he would be welcome at the course." Both Bankable & Mourilyan are trained in England by Gary Moore, but when they venture overseas the horses are prepared by South African trainer Herman Brown. Moore told The Sunday Age: "Both horses went into quarantine on Friday & are fit and well." Asked about their owner, he said: "I've never met him or even spoken to him, as it's all done through agents & translators. But I looked him up on the internet & it was a bit scary. Most of my owners have pet cats or dogs, but this bloke keeps lions!"